Immunization Controversy: Understanding and Addressing Public Misconceptions and Concerns

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy K. Blackford

School nurses often meet with parents who are reluctant to immunize their children. This reluctance is based on widely publicized stories about vaccine safety. Illnesses that are preventable by vaccines have become almost nonexistent, and consequently, vaccine safety concerns have increased in prominence. Often a negative report about the risk of a particular vaccine is released by the media and on the Internet before scientific evidence has been obtained. To adequately respond to parental concerns, school nurses should be aware of the historical impact of vaccine safety issues and the vaccine-related fears that are prevalent at the present time. Nurses also need to be provided with scientifically accurate information so that risk-benefit concerns regarding vaccine safety can be effectively communicated to parents. In this way, school nurses can play an important role in ensuring that the student population and the community are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Author(s):  
Andrea Peach ◽  
Susan Bell ◽  
Alexandru Spatariu

Preschool and young school-aged children use the internet at high rates, and with this access, parents and educators worry about safety issues. Reports of cyberbullying, child predators, inappropriate internet content, and violations of privacy, such as identity theft saturate the media (Dowell, Burgess, & Cavanaugh, 2009). This chapter will explore the roots of cyberbullying, including relational aggression and bullying in early childhood, will examine issues in internet safety that pertain to young children, and will differentiate the issues with young children from those that plague older children. Resources for working with children, parents, and educators will be reviewed, and future safety issues of internet and other mobile technology will be discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. e004898
Author(s):  
Laura Conklin ◽  
Anders Hviid ◽  
Walter A Orenstein ◽  
Andrew J Pollard ◽  
Melinda Wharton ◽  
...  

Global gains in vaccination coverage during the early 21st century have been threatened by the emergence of antivaccination groups that have questioned the effectiveness of vaccines to generate public distrust of vaccines and immunisation programmes. This manuscript summarises six key topics that have been at the centre of global discussions on vaccine safety during the early 21st century: thiomersal in multi-dose non-live vaccines, aluminium adjuvants used with several non-live vaccines, autism and auto-immune conditions as possible consequences of vaccination, a risk of immune overload with increasing numbers of vaccinations, and detrimental non-specific effects (NSEs) of vaccination. For each topic, we describe the hypothesis behind the public concern, the evidence reviewed by the WHO’s Global Advisory Committee for Vaccine Safety (GACVS) during 1999–2019, and any significant new data that has emerged since GACVS conclusions were made. Although the scientific evidence on these issues overwhelmingly supports the safety of vaccines, communication messages to caregivers and providers need to condense and convey scientific information in an appropriate way to address concerns contributing to vaccine distrust. In addition, there is need for further studies specifically designed to address both positive and negative NSE of vaccination. The role of GACVS will be increasingly important in evaluating the evidence and engaging the global community in promoting and assuring the safety of vaccines in the decades to come as we move into an era in which we use new vaccination platforms, antigens and formulations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1942602X2199164
Author(s):  
Katherine Park ◽  
Rebecca Cartmill ◽  
Belinda Johnson-Gordon ◽  
Mary Landes ◽  
Karen Malik ◽  
...  

School-located vaccination events (SLVE) have a long history in the United States and have successfully contributed to lower morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable diseases. The school is an ideal place to reach children from all cultures, socioeconomic groups, and age-groups and is conveniently situated in communities for ease of accessibility for students, parents, and staff alike. School nurses play an important role in planning for SLVE and are ideally positioned to initiate this process and provide accurate information, dispelling myths about vaccines. Because school nurses are considered a trusted source of health information by the school community, they can provide valuable education on the impact of vaccination on student and staff attendance. Conducting a successful SLVE requires research, planning, and partnerships, and these partnerships are needed both within the school setting and outside this setting, within the community at large. The proliferation of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent vaccine production has caused school nurses to take the lead in preparing for mass vaccination clinics in order to help mitigate this serious public health threat. This manuscript describes the process a group of school nurses used to develop SLVE plans in response to a pandemic.


2018 ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Edwards ◽  
Jesse M. Hackell

Immunizations have led to a significant decrease in rates of vaccine-preventable diseases and have made a significant impact on the health of children. However, some parents express concerns about vaccine safety and the necessity of vaccines. The concerns of parents range from hesitancy about some immunizations to refusal of all vaccines. This clinical report provides information about addressing parental concerns about vaccination.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonietta Filia ◽  
Antonino Bella ◽  
Fortunato D’Ancona ◽  
Massimo Fabiani ◽  
Cristina Giambi ◽  
...  

Background Paediatrician recommendations are known to influence parental vaccine decisions. Aim Our aim was to examine vaccination knowledge, attitudes and practices among paediatricians in Italy and identify factors associated with their confidence in addressing parental questions. Methods An electronic questionnaire survey was conducted from February to March 2016, among a sample of Italian paediatricians. Results The survey was completed by 903 paediatricians (mean age: 56 years). Of 885 who responded to the specific question, 843 (95.3%) were completely favourable to vaccinations. Sixty-six per cent (570/862) felt sufficiently knowledgeable about vaccinations and vaccine-preventable diseases to confidently discuss them with parents. Paediatricians who were male, who were 55 years or older, who had participated in training courses in the last 5 years, who reported that taking courses and reading the scientific literature had contributed to their knowledge, or who had implemented vaccination promotion activities, felt more knowledgeable than other paediatricians. When asked to rate their level of agreement with statements about vaccine safety and effectiveness, only 8.9% (80/903) responded fully as expected. One third (294/878) did not systematically verify that their patients are up to date with the immunisation schedule. Only 5.4% (48/892) correctly identified all true and false contraindications. Conclusions The majority of paediatricians in Italy are favourable to vaccination but gaps were identified between their overall positive attitudes and their knowledge, beliefs and practices. Targeted interventions are needed aimed at increasing paediatricians’ confidence in addressing parents’ concerns, strengthening trust towards health authorities and improving systems barriers.


Author(s):  
Anna Udelkina

This article is devoted to the study of the multimedia environment of the polemic discourse in German media with its diverse formats of impact on the audience and the actively developing internal dynamics of texts. If at the end of the XXth century the specifics of German media were the use of the Internet site as one of the possibilities to present copies of newspapers and magazines in electronic form, today we can speak of modified, hybrid Internet versions of printed publications that do not just create websites on the Internet that duplicate their main activity, but also combines the features of the traditional press and features of the functioning of texts on the Internet. The transition from linear, monomedia broadcasting platforms to discrete, multimedia ones has a significant impact on the process of creating, designing and placing modern polemics. Texts of articles and user comments are considered in the article as tmaterialization of the polemic discourse in the media. Polemic texts are formed on the basis of intertextual structures and have a hypertext nature. The use of multimedia tools (a variety of fonts, graphics, animation, photo, video and sound) in the text of the article allows the author not only to expand the amount of information provided, but also to qualitatively supplement its content through inline inclusions tn the text, to express the meaning of information by referring to verbal and non-verbal means; to provide a visual and figurative presentation of information (graphs, charts, tables), to attract attention and influence the audience, as well as to provide readers with the opportunity to participate in information exchange.


Author(s):  
Alexandra Makarova

The religious communication is the most ancient of human communication types. The pragmatic linguistics as well as rhetoric shows a special attitude to this special type of discourse. Today the Internet text with its unlimited abilities is being in the focus of linguists’ attention. That is why the orthodox journalists are covering not only print media but also the Internet that helps to widen the sphere of influence on the people’s minds and souls. The analyses show that the media context of the Orthodox sites (such as The Orthodox people laugh and etc.) includes humorous publications that prove the necessity of studying peculiarities of religious communication and humorous texts in orthodox sites. The integrative approach including content analyses, discourse and linguistic cultural methods helps the author to come to a conclusion that orthodox media texts are distinguished by intertextuality, hypertextuality, creolism, and the authors want to influence the addressee in the most effective way. To define the communicative task, the missionary function should be taken into account which is peculiar to the religious discourse.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-172
Author(s):  
Lisa Frey Blume ◽  
Shannon Lines

Electronic, or “e”-cigarette use has been adopted by an alarming number of teens in recent years. E-cigarettes are neither legal for youth nor considered safe for use by youth. E-cigarette companies have targeted youth in their marketing strategies and developed appealing flavors with high nicotine content to ensure dependence on their products. Schools lack adequate resources and capacity to address e-cigarette use, relying mostly on punitive sanctions for what is essentially a health issue. School nurses can help their districts and schools by navigating appropriate consequences for vaping, providing accurate information and education, providing cessation resources, advocating for student support, and informing stakeholders on population health strategies to prevent initiation and reduce youth e-cigarette use.


2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M Wolfe
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariya Yatsymirska ◽  

The article investigates functional techniques of extralinguistic expression in multimedia texts; the effectiveness of figurative expressions as a reaction to modern events in Ukraine and their influence on the formation of public opinion is shown. Publications of journalists, broadcasts of media resonators, experts, public figures, politicians, readers are analyzed. The language of the media plays a key role in shaping the worldview of the young political elite in the first place. The essence of each statement is a focused thought that reacts to events in the world or in one’s own country. The most popular platform for mass information and social interaction is, first of all, network journalism, which is characterized by mobility and unlimited time and space. Authors have complete freedom to express their views in direct language, including their own word formation. Phonetic, lexical, phraseological and stylistic means of speech create expression of the text. A figurative word, a good aphorism or proverb, a paraphrased expression, etc. enhance the effectiveness of a multimedia text. This is especially important for headlines that simultaneously inform and influence the views of millions of readers. Given the wide range of issues raised by the Internet as a medium, research in this area is interdisciplinary. The science of information, combining language and social communication, is at the forefront of global interactions. The Internet is an effective source of knowledge and a forum for free thought. Nonlinear texts (hypertexts) – «branching texts or texts that perform actions on request», multimedia texts change the principles of information collection, storage and dissemination, involving billions of readers in the discussion of global issues. Mastering the word is not an easy task if the author of the publication is not well-read, is not deep in the topic, does not know the psychology of the audience for which he writes. Therefore, the study of media broadcasting is an important component of the professional training of future journalists. The functions of the language of the media require the authors to make the right statements and convincing arguments in the text. Journalism education is not only knowledge of imperative and dispositive norms, but also apodictic ones. In practice, this means that there are rules in media creativity that are based on logical necessity. Apodicticity is the first sign of impressive language on the platform of print or electronic media. Social expression is a combination of creative abilities and linguistic competencies that a journalist realizes in his activity. Creative self-expression is realized in a set of many important factors in the media: the choice of topic, convincing arguments, logical presentation of ideas and deep philological education. Linguistic art, in contrast to painting, music, sculpture, accumulates all visual, auditory, tactile and empathic sensations in a universal sign – the word. The choice of the word for the reproduction of sensory and semantic meanings, its competent use in the appropriate context distinguishes the journalist-intellectual from other participants in forums, round tables, analytical or entertainment programs. Expressive speech in the media is a product of the intellect (ability to think) of all those who write on socio-political or economic topics. In the same plane with him – intelligence (awareness, prudence), the first sign of which (according to Ivan Ogienko) is a good knowledge of the language. Intellectual language is an important means of organizing a journalistic text. It, on the one hand, logically conveys the author’s thoughts, and on the other – encourages the reader to reflect and comprehend what is read. The richness of language is accumulated through continuous self-education and interesting communication. Studies of social expression as an important factor influencing the formation of public consciousness should open up new facets of rational and emotional media broadcasting; to trace physical and psychological reactions to communicative mimicry in the media. Speech mimicry as one of the methods of disguise is increasingly becoming a dangerous factor in manipulating the media. Mimicry is an unprincipled adaptation to the surrounding social conditions; one of the most famous examples of an animal characterized by mimicry (change of protective color and shape) is a chameleon. In a figurative sense, chameleons are called adaptive journalists. Observations show that mimicry in politics is to some extent a kind of game that, like every game, is always conditional and artificial.


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